The present disclosure relates generally to the field of antenna systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates generally to the field of feed manifolds for antenna arrays, including but not limited to, phased array antenna systems or electronically scanned array (ESA) antenna systems, such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna systems.
Antenna arrays are utilized with transceivers. As used in this application, the term transceiver refers to an electronic device embodied as a transmitter, a receiver or a transmitter/receiver. The antenna array can be electronically steered by using variable phase shifters or time delay units coupled to respective antenna elements in the antenna array to direct the antenna at a pointing angle. The antenna array is coupled to the transceiver through an interface that includes the phase shifters or time delay units as well as components, such as, apertures, power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, transmit/receive switches, temperature sensing equipment, combiners, connectors etc. For example, an antenna array of 16×32 dual polarization (DLP) antenna elements operating in the ultra-wide band (UWB) with four channels uses an interface or feed manifold including 128 columnar beam former networks, four 64 way row beam former networks, and a large, passive modified Wilkinson combiner. The columnar beam former networks and row beam former networks include large passive elements such as passive combiners and time delay units. Such a configuration requires significant volume (particularly in the direction of the depth of the aperture), as well as increased complexity and cost. In addition, the components on each card significantly add to the DC power budget associated with the cards and complicate thermal management issues.
Thus, there is a need for an antenna system which includes a feed manifold of reduced size. Further, there is a need for a reduced size feed manifold that does not include large, high isolation Wilkinson or reactive-tee passive splitters/combiners. Further still, there is a need for an active manifold architecture which is smaller, lighter and requires less power. Further still, there is a need for a method of providing an active radio frequency integrated circuit-based manifold. Yet further, there is a need for a system and method that does not require an independent feed manifold for each channel. Yet further still, there is a need for a UWB transceiver and antenna architecture which is smaller, lighter, and less expensive and uses less power. Further still, there is a need for a feed manifold for an aperture that has a reduced depth dimension. There is a further need for a miniature N-way feed manifold. There is a further need to integrate phase shifters or time delay units on an RFIC for one dimensional or two dimensional AESA beam scanning.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.